It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the possibility of implementing applicant tracking system (ATS). The key is to make the transition at the time that’s right for your company: not too soon and as happens more frequently, not too late. If you wonder when it’s time to automate your hiring process from the Excel-spreadsheet-and-locked-file-cabinet method, consider these three factors:
Volume.
Is the number of applications you receive consistently too high to review effectively or track through the interview process? If you’re regularly looking through 300 applications for a different position every couple weeks, you’ll certainly benefit from an ATS. In addition to simplifying your day-to-day work, the ATS ensures that your applications provide all of the information that’s necessary to begin the hiring process.
Turnover.
Have you ever hired the “right” employee--and found that you need to replace him or her three weeks later? With an ATS in place, you’ll have a database of potential hires that’s been created automatically, and you’ll easily be able to turn to your original applications to find an applicant quickly. It also simplifies the process of finding a qualified candidate. If you need a forklift driver with three years of experience and a valid CDL, that search would take hours to do manually, but only moments with the right software.
Compliance.
Do you have a standardized system in place that enables you to prove your candidate selection process? It’s no secret that there’s many regulations about what information you can collect and not collect from candidates, what you can ask and not ask. If you need to prove you’ve made a reasonable effort to abide by compliance, an ATS eliminates the gray area. If you clearly didn’t hire someone because they only have one year of experience and you’re looking for three, there’s no risk of legal action.